NZ lose Taylor and Watling in slow session

New Zealand gifted the fourth wicket of their innings to Zimbabwe and stalled completely after that, allowing the hosts to sneak in another dismissal to claw their way back. Ross Taylor departed in the second over of the day without adding to his 76, chasing a wide delivery to give Njabulo Ncube and wicketkeeper Regis Chakabva their maiden Test dismissals. BJ Watling and especially, debutant Dean Brownlie, struggled to find runs as Zimbabwe repeated the strategy which had kept New Zealand in check yesterday - bowling straight with run-saving fields.

A start delayed by 45 minutes due to rain meant there was some nip off the otherwise lifeless surface for the first hour, and Kyle Jarvis and Ncube used it to keep the batsmen cautious. Jarvis found bounce as well from short of a length, going past the outside edge without luck, like yesterday.

Jarvis and Ncube made way for Chris Mpofu and Hamilton Masakadza but Watling and Brownlie were not allowed to get away. Brendan Taylor put men at short mid-on, short extra cover and short midwicket which made run-scoring even more difficult against the lesser pace of Masakadza and Mpofu.

New Zealand settled into a pattern of playing out maidens before a short Mpofu delivery kicked at Watling and took the edge for Chakabva to take a diving catch. Ray Price now began to bowl outside leg from over the wicket, further squeezing the almost non-existent run-flow.

Brownlie cut Mpofu just before lunch for the first four in almost 15 overs but Zimbabwe had already won their first session of the game.